Original submission article: PPhA Profile for FAPA (2016)

submitted by: Imelda G. Pena, RPh, DrPH Executive Secretary Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA)

The Philippine Pharmacists Association, Inc. (PPhA) is the only Republic of the Philippines’ Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)-accredited, integrated national organization for Filipino pharmacists whose membership includes around 16,000 individual members from 85 local chapters all over the country and 10 affiliate organizations representing pharmacists in all areas of practice.

The PPhA was born out of a crisis that besieged the pharmacy profession in the Philippines in the middle of 1920.  It all began when complaints were filed against a few pharmacists who were accused of dispensing substandard medicines.  Realizing the need to address the crisis as a group, several pharmacists met on 29 August 1920 at the original site of the Manila Central University.  This paved the way for the foundation of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Association.

The PPhA has been an active member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) since 1957. It was also one of the founding members of the Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations (FAPA) in 1964. In 1975, the PPhA was accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and in 1994 became the very first recipient of PRC’s “Outstanding Accredited Professional Organization of the Year”.  In 2015, the PPhA was awarded again with the PRC’s “Outstanding Accredited Professional Organization of the Year” (Category B – with registered professionals from 10,000 but less than 100,000).

In 2008, the name of PPhA was changed to the Philippine Pharmacists Association to emphasize that it is an organization of pharmacists in the country, with the positioning statement, “Pharmacists for Better Health Outcomes”.  The PPhA is the association that advances the nobility of the pharmacy profession in the Philippines, ensuring its integrity and relevance.  Through the years, the PPhA has been very much involved in issues concerning the pharmacy profession, the most recent of which was the passing of the country’s new Pharmacy Law, Republic Act 10918, otherwise known as the Philippine Pharmacy Act of 2016.

02) Philippines – Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA)
The PPhA Officers and Board of Directors (2016-2018)
Standing from left to right: Mr. Paul Marvin Quizon (Public Relations Officer); Mr. Roderick Salenga (Director); Ms. Mercelinda Gutierrez (Director); Mr. Reynaldo Maxlito Umali (Director); Dr. Priscilla Torres (Director); Ms. Hazel Faye Docuyanan (Auditor); Dr. Imelda Peña (Executive Secretary); Mr. Bryan Posadas (Director); Sitting from left to right: Dr. Olivia Limuaco (Immediate Past President); Ms. Zenaida Lumacang (Vice President for Mindanao); Ms. Jennifer Flores (Vice President for Luzon); Dr. Yolanda Robles (President); Atty. Froilan Bagabaldo (Executive Vice President); Ms. Sonia Cabahit (Vice President for Visayas); Ms. Maria Lourdes Garganera (Treasurer).

[FAPA Member Associations Write-Up Series]:
Since FAPA’s expending its exposure and influence in Asia, we also would like to urge our Member Associations to be aware by the region colleagues, especially in pharmacy. In these serveries, we’ve kindly request the current 18 ordinary members of FAPA to provide 100~200 write-up and also a short film (<3minutes) to introduce us again the organization, its efforts in developing pharmacy profession, and also its expectation to FAPA, to work with FAPA to this global healthcare system.

Author: Michael Wei-Chih LIU

Michael Wei-Chih LIU Assistant Secretary General FAPA (2015-2018)